We’re still using dried figs and goat cheese, but then swapping sweet potatoes in for the apple, adding leftover turkey, and using roasted hazelnuts in place of the walnuts.

And if you’re thinking that you don’t usually have goat cheese and figs at Thanksgiving, let this salad be your excuse to make a crowd-pleasing appetizer this year!

My favorite part of this salad is the combination of dried figs and the maple vinaigrette. Between the nutty, slightly smoky flavor of the figs and the sweet maple, it’s a match made in flavor-heaven.

What You’ll Need

For the salad:

Leftover turkey

Roasted sweet potato

Dried California Mission figs

Goat cheese

Roasted hazelnuts

Arugula

For the maple vinaigrette:

Dijon mustard

Apple cider vinegar

Maple syrup

Salt

Extra-virgin olive oil

Fall Fig Salad Ingredient Substitutions

The best part about this salad is that you can sub in any leftovers you have from Thanksgiving or that are just sitting around in your fridge.

Turkey: if not making this after Thanksgiving, feel free to use chicken instead. For a meatless option, roasted chickpeas or tofu would work great.

Roasted sweet potato: use any leftover winter squash from your celebration, such as sugar pumpkin, butternut squash, or acorn squash.

You can also use any leftover grains or fruit (like apples or pears) in place of the sweet potato.

Dried California Mission figs: California dried golden figs are another great option as they’re a bit nuttier and buttery.

Goat cheese: feta, manchego, or blue cheese would all be equally delicious. You can also add an extra flavor boost by using a flavored goat cheese (honey goat cheese is especially delicious in this salad!).

Roasted hazelnuts: use any nuts that you have leftover from your Thanksgiving cooking or baking, such as pecans, walnuts, or almonds.

Arugula: again, add any leafy green you have leftover, such as spinach, mixed baby greens, kale, or leafy green lettuce.

Maple Vinaigrette: for a more floral flavor, use honey in place of the maple syrup. Or to really go all-in on the fig flavor, use a fig-infused balsamic vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar..

How to assemble mason jar salads

The most important tip is to put the dressing on the bottom and the greens on the very top.

While the order of the other ingredients isn’t quite as important, I like to put my starch or protein directly on top of the dressing as I don’t mind if they soak up more of it.

Dried fruits, cheeses, and chopped nuts are usually towards the top to keep them further away from the dressing.

Plus, they’re usually my favorite part of any salad, so by having them in the middle almost every bite will contain at least a little fig and cheese.

Fall Fig Salad also makes for a festive first course at Thanksgiving or Christmas

This fig fall salad is also a nutritious way to add a pop of color to your holiday dinners. Simply leave out the turkey to turn it into a side dish or first course.

I’m Kelli MS, RD, and my mission is to prove that eating healthier doesn’t have to be complicated or restrictive. Follow along to learn more about food and cooking, with an emphasis on breakfast and sweet treats!

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